A St James woman who allegedly beat her husband's ex-girlfriend and held her captive had her bail extended until June 5 when she appeared in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Twenty-seven-year-old Latoya Farquharson, of a Spot Valley address, was previously before the court on January 23 for assault occasioning bodily harm, committed against Santana Bowen, and had been offered bail in the sum of $250,000.

Allegations are that on January 19, Bowen - who is reportedly an ex-girlfriend of Farquharson's husband - was invited via text message to visit her ex-boyfriend's house at Rhyne Park in St James the following day. However, when she arrived there she was confronted by the defendant, who beat her all over her body with a broomstick.

Farquharson then called her friends to assist in beating Bowen, following which the complainant was locked inside Farquharson's house and forced to wash the defendant's clothes and clean the floor with her own clothes. She was then beaten again and released three hours later, after which she made a police report that subsequently led to Farquharson's arrest.

mediation

Yesterday, clerk of the court Orrett Brown revealed that Bowen had turned down offers to settle the dispute through mediation.

"I have had discussions with the complainant's mother, and she told me that the complainant is not interested in mediation," Brown told Resident Magistrate Sheron Barnes.

"We will have further discussions and see where it goes," said attorney-at-law Dalton Reid, who represents Bowen in the matter.

Meanwhile, Farquharson's lawyer Adrian Dayes asked for additional time for him to receive statements in the case from the prosecution.

"I wish to have a mention date for statements in the matter; we have had discussions," Dayes advised the magistrate.

"The matter is set for mention on June 5," RM Barnes declared to Farquharson.